184 POULTRY FOR PROFIT 



disease in fowls which causes the feathers to break 

 off at the surface of the skin. It usually begins at 

 the rump and spreads to the head and neck, back, 

 thigh and breast. Around the stumps of the lost 

 feathers and at the end of the quills of feathers near 

 the bare spots are masses of epidermal scales. 

 Feather eating and feather pulling are often due to 

 the presence of this parasite. The introduction of 

 one infected bird into a flock will soon cause the 

 whole flock to become infected. 



Treatments. — The ointments used for scaly leg 

 may be used for the depluming mite. Salmon also 

 advises the following : 



Flowers of sulphur 1 dram 



Carbonate of potash 20 grains 



Lard or vaseline y% ounce 



The application should be repeated every four or 

 five days till the disease is cured. 



White Diarrhea 



It has been the fashion to speak of white diarrhea 

 as a sort of bugaboo which is lying in wait for every 

 chick and which only the most fortunate escape. All 

 this is pure nonsense. The well-hatched, well-bred 

 chick which is kept warm and reasonably well fed 

 has just as many chances of surviving as any other 

 young animal. The trouble is that when large num- 

 bers of chicks are artificially hatched and artificially 

 brooded they are often not well hatched and still 

 more often not kept warm. Overheating before 

 hatching or chilling after hatching weakens the con- 

 stitution, and especially the digestion. A sort of 

 diarrhea ensues, which is not white diarrhea, 

 though it is often erroneously so called, the chick is 

 "pasted up behind," droops for a few days, and 

 usually dies. 



